The Salt Lake City Council tonight could toughen its conflict-of-interest rules. Council members say no one has done anything wrong — but they want to avoid the appearance of evil.

The changes, developed by a committee that included council members Dave Buhler, Carlton Christensen and Jill Remington Love, "relate to instances that appeared to some to require the City Council's attention," according to a council staff report.

The report does not specify those instances, and council members haven't named any. But two current council members, one former council member who is now running for mayor and Mayor Rocky Anderson have all been in situations at one time or another that would have been affected by the new rules.

For example, the changes would prevent elected officers, their immediate families and their businesses from seeking loans or grants from the city. Councilwoman Nancy Saxton, who is running for mayor, in 2003 took a city loan for her reception center, Anderson Commons. And Councilman Soren Simonsen's architecture firm is considering asking for one.

However, the conflict-of-interest proposal could be tweaked to allow such loans to be approved by an ad-hoc committee of residents.

Another component of the proposed changes would require elected officials to file a declaration with the city recorder's office "if someone other than the city pays for travel, lodging or entertainment expenses" in travel for city business.

Anderson has sometimes used donated money for travel costs, including when he travels to speak to environmental and other conferences. Those costs are typically covered by the groups to which he speaks.

In one instance, Anderson traveled to Torino, Italy, in the summer of 2004 to promote the Olympics, after Salt Lake had hosted the games and Torino was scheduled to next hold them. The trip was funded by private donations the mayor raised.

Anderson allowed his girlfriend and other friends to go on the city-sponsored trip, and critics said Anderson should have had a more open funding process.

Former Councilman Keith Christensen, who is running for mayor, had considered making a bid to build a gas station at the Salt Lake City International Airport, which would be prohibited under the proposed changes because he is chairman of the city's Airport Board.

The proposed amendments would also prevent elected officials or city employees from having financial interest in an entity doing business with a city department they are employed by.

As currently written, the rules wouldn't include people in volunteer positions with the city, although there has been language proposed that would.

The council will discuss the proposal at its work session, to begin at 5:30 p.m. today at the City-County Building, 451 S. State. A vote is scheduled for the council's regular meeting at 7 p.m.

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